Abstract
Purpose: Urban areas in hyper-arid regions face a dual threat of water scarcity and urban heat islands, exacerbated by conventional infrastructure and climate change, which reduces groundwater recharge and amplifies energy demands for cooling. This study addresses the research problem of adapting Sponge City principles to hyper-arid climates, where existing models from humid regions fail to account for low rainfall and high evaporation.
Aim: The aim is to evaluate the "Sponge Park" concept—a decentralized, nature-based system of permeable surfaces and subsurface storage—as a replicable model for integrated water management and climate adaptation in arid cities, hypothesizing that it can achieve >90% infiltration and significant microclimate cooling.
Methodology: A novel multi-model computational framework was developed, coupling Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for process-level subsurface hydrology and heat transfer, the EPA HELP model for long-term water balance, and TR-55/HydroCAD for extreme storm event routing. The system, designed for a 13-ha site in Abu Dhabi, integrates high-infiltration silica-sand pavers and breathable aquicludes (APAC). A comprehensive Monte Carlo analysis (n = 1,000) quantified uncertainties in key parameters.
Findings: Simulations under local climatic inputs (80 mm/yr rainfall) project >93.6 ± 3.8% annual rainfall infiltration, <0.1% runoff for 50 mm/24h storms, and pollutant removal efficiencies of 98.0 ± 2.1% (SS) and 93.9 ± 4.2% (COD). The system harvests 5,240 ± 520 m³/yr of water for reuse. The latent heat flux from evaporation (9.32 ± 0.93 GJ/yr per 1,000 m²) translates to a microclimate cooling of 0.4 °C – 0.6 °C. A life-cycle cost analysis confirms economic viability with a net present value of +$0.42 million.
Conclusion: The results support the hypothesis, demonstrating the Sponge Park's projected viability for hyper-arid urban sustainability, though limited by simulation-only validation. Research Implication: This provides policy-ready metrics for GCC replication, enhancing water security and resilience. Originality/Novelty and Value: This is the first integrated multi-model framework for arid Sponge City applications with a water-energy nexus focus, offering a benchmark for water-stressed regions and advancing SDG 6 and 13.
